Hollow Walls and Empty Halls
by Sage of the Chuchus
Summary: The Four Heroes are dead. Friendless and directionless, Shadow keeps the ruins of Hyrule Castle. He is unaware of the trouble still brewing in Hyrule, though, as he wanders the empty castle night after night until two guests show up in strange circumstances.
1. Chapter 1

Shadow Link sighed, his heart heavy as his grey eyes reflected the moon above him. Alone, as always, he was left to wander the shattered halls of the ruined castle. His castle, though he was still without home.

The same grey eyes that stared at the moon and wished for an end were the ones that had witnessed the destruction of the very castle they watched over, eyes that had seen hatred, blood, and misery until he couldn't stand it.

He himself had defeated Vaati and Ganon when the heroes fell and left the land to the claws of the sorcerers. But now the kingdom was deserted all had fled or died fleeing, hoping to escape to whatever lay beyond Hyrule. Perhaps they were chasing legends of the land the hero of Time spoke of in his later days. Now it left Shadow alone with no company. Even the numerous mirrors around the castle offered no reflected image of the shade so he wandered its halls each night, wracked with guilt and loneliness when he came across the possessions of the dead.

In Zelda's room was an ancient, cracked ocarina with faded blue glaze, no doubt an heirloom of the family. Shadow wished he could play it to give some sound to the silence of the ruins.

In the king's room was a proud portrait of him and a beautiful, strong-looking woman cradling a baby in her arms and a bed unmade, covered in dust.

In the hero Link's room lay a sword over an equally dusty pillow. Shadow had placed it there out of respect for the lost heroes and the sight only added to the tight guilt in his heart. He moved on quickly.

It was strange, though. The day the heroes died he'd gained a shadow of his own and lost his powers, and gained the ability to use the four sword. The holy weapon had destroyed Vaati and defeated Ganon, though he wondered if living under their tyranny would have been better than living alone now.

He pulled out the shard of glass he kept with him and smoothed his hand over the flat edge. He had returned to the Dark mirror after the heroes had died and the looking-glass had shattered, leaving Vaati weak and Shadow… alive, human.

Staring at the shard where his reflection should have been, Shadow did something he'd tried a hundred times in his solitude. Praying to the Goddesses he'd defied.

"Goddesses…" he whispered quietly, bowing his head. "Please send someone to me. Anyone to spare me from this torture."

He stared at the shard in his hand through eyes blurred with tears, his fingers tightening around the glass until they bled, the liquid sliding down his wrist and dripping slowly to the floor.

He watched it sadly until the shard in his hand began to heat up, burning his hand. Though it was painful, Shadow clung to the glass as it began to glow with a soft blue light contradictory to the searing pain it caused.

The glass melted in Shadow's hand, though not a drip of the molten liquid slid over his cupped palm. Slowly it re-shaped itself into a small, clear octahedron glowing with a blue core. The light in the center grew bright and faded, as if it were a pulsing heartbeat.

"What is this?" Shadow muttered, turning the stone in his hand and noticing his cuts were gone. The pain had faded away as well, leaving his hand feeling cool and pleasant with the crystal nestled in his palm.

He could sense something in the stone that gave of only the faintest feeling of love and he clung to it, focusing all his might on the heart of the gift as the feeling spread as a warmth in his own chest.

Shadow smiled at the stone, the only comfort he'd known in years. The goddesses had forgiven him, it seemed. "Thank you…" he whispered over the stone, touching his nose to it.

Unsure what to do with the gift, he held to it and moved on with his hollow rounds of the empty castle, somehow not feeling as lonely with its cold comfort cradled in his hand.

Two weeks later and Shadow felt disheartened. The feel of the stone was constant, but he found he could get less and less comfort from it. The gift has satisfied his loneliness, but only for a short time.

He sat on a crumbling throne, turning it in his hands and wondering if there was more to the precious thing. Somewhere outside the castle, thunder rumbled and rain began to pour, barely audible from so deep within the ruined walls of the forgotten capital of Hyrule.

He looked up and stood. It had been a long time since he'd felt rain, though the skies had been covered by dark clouds since Ganon's reign, only clearing at night, when the moon seemed to chase them away. Shadow made his way through the seemingly endless walls and down staircases that threatened to crumble away under his feet, out the great archway that led to the courtyards. All the kept flowers and lawns had grown over with ivy and long grass, but it gave the garden a more natural, forest-like feel as the many trees dripped with rain. It was a strange feeling moving through the darkened courtyard trees with the stone clutched in his hand. Water soon dripped from his hair and ears, into his eyes. His hat had been long abandoned, so his head was unprotected, but he didn't mind the chill as he watched droplets drip from his self-trimmed bangs. The crystal was covered in shimmering droplets that reflected its inner light, though as Shadow watched the light began to brighten as more and more rain fell upon it. He cupped it in his hands and held them out, fascinated as the throbbing glow gained intensity.

 _Vio, you're an excellent friend._

Shadow stared down at the stone, swearing he'd imagined his own, younger echo coming from it.

 _No, I mean it. I finally feel I've finally met a trustworthy ally._

The crystal had pulsed in time to his words, undoubtedly the source. With a frown, Shadow remembered the night he'd said those words, first remembering the feeling he'd had when he felt them, trust and admiration, then the harsh sting of betrayal and lost.

He'd become attached to the hero so quickly, so blind to his loyalty. Vio had been the only person he'd ever cared about, but why was the stone forcing him to remember that night?

Frown melted to scowl as another voice whispered from the stone.

 _That way the whole world would be ours!_

Vio. He'd forgotten the voice, but recognised it instantly, wondering vaguely how it would have changed if Vio had survived and grown, as Shadow had the last three years.

"The whole world _is_ mine, hero." Shadow hissed. "And it's the worst thing I could imagine." suddenly angry at the stone, drowning in frustration, anger, confusion, and renewed desperation for company, Shadow ran forwards, the crystal clenched tight in his fist. He reached the outer wall of the castle and ran onto the disused drawbridge, half collapsed into the still-filled but filthy moat.

 _We can both be the rulers of this world!_

With a cry, Shadow hurled the stone as far as he could into the water, tears mixing with the rain as guilt tightened in his chest. "We can't, Vio!" He screamed. "You're dead! Everyone is, there's no world left!" His voice was hoarse from disuse and he was half-blinded and half-deafened by the pouring rain. Cursing the goddesses for their torturous gift, Shadow was now distraught about the rain he'd felt enamored by minutes before and turned to return inside. At the last second something caught his attention and he hesitated.

The moat where he'd cast the stone began to glow like the stone itself, the water too murky and the light too bright for him to see anything. He watched with eyes narrowed against the downpour, too numb by the rain and the hollowness of his heart to ready himself to defend against whatever strange thing emerged.

The light faded and Shadow stared, barely noticing as the rain started letting up. After several seconds a pale body rose to the surface of the water, unconscious, his blonde hair drifting about his head in the water.

Shadow stumbled and fell in his haste to get around the drawbridge and near to the person in the water, aware it would take longer for him to swim. When he got to the water's edge he started, hesitating. The man was floating face-up, wearing no article of clothing Shadow could detect. He blushed slightly and dove in with a gasp at the frigid temperature, careful to wrap his arms around the upper part of the stranger's body and drag him to shore. He was breathing normally when Shadow finally managed to pull him out of the moat, struggling against the high bank. Shadow knelt beside the stranger, careful to keep his eyes above his waist. His body was alight with excitement, and curiosity. Who was this strange man?

Upon inspection he realised that the person was no older than he was, making 'man' a barely applicable term. He also noticed the person was not very deeply asleep, making small sounds every once in a while or turning his head. Shadow waited until his blue eyes opened on their own, a light drizzle still falling from the sky, though the clouds were beginning to part and make way for the rising moon, which reflected faintly in the stranger's eyes.

"Hello." Shadow muttered hoarsely, clearing his throat and repeating himself to slightly better results.

The blond looked at him curiously. "Evening."

Shadow blinked in confusion as a million questions sprang into his mind. "W-who are you?" he finally asked, offering a hand and wondering if perhaps this was all a cruel dream destined to turn nightmare.

The stranger accepted the aid and sat up, examining his own hands and nakedness with mild interest. "My name is Vio."

All at once Shadow could see the similarities in his face and hear them in his voice, wondering how he'd ignored them before. "Vio?"

"Yes?"

"It's me, Shadow." Shadow cleared his throat again in irritation with the scratchy feeling within it, though he realised it was a lost cause. Vio's voice, however, was clear and carried the same thoughtful tone as it always had. His expression was one of confusion when Shadow introduced himself, though the purple-haired teen asked another question too quickly to notice. "Where are the others? Green, Red, Blue?" One has returned, who was to say he wouldn't be joined by more people after his suffering.

This time he did notice the frown on Vio's lips. "I believe you've mistaken me for someone else. I don't believe I know anyone by those, or your, name."

Shadow gaped. It was unmistakably Vio, but he didn't remember him or the others. Was this the cruelty of the goddesses he'd earlier assumed or… a chance to start again without the baggage of Vio's betrayal or Shadow's crimes? They could be friends in this world when everything in the old one prevented it.

"Maybe," said thoughtfully, standing up, still amazed my the 180 of his life not that another person had come to him, his only friend no less. "But for now you just took a swim in water that's probably freezing, you need to dry off."

Vio stood, evidently unembarrassed about his exposure, and Shadow blushed again, looking away and walking towards the drawbridge without another betraying glance. "and get you some clothes." he added under his breath, a strange elation filling his body and mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Good to see you all! I hope this fic is enjoyed. Feel free to PM my with any questions, or even if you just want to talk or roleplay or something! I'd love to see some new reviews as well ^^ Thanks for reading!

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Shadow couldn't stop staring, the castle feeling foreign with another being inside, especially one he knew but that did not remember him. Vio was quiet and respectful, looking at the halls Shadow led him down with mild interest and asking questions about that Shadow could not and/or would not answer. Vio was a chance to let go of his past and the burdens they piled upon his back, and soon the newcomer learned he would have to answer his own questions, as Shadow would not.

Now they sat in silence, observing each other in front of a salvaged fireplace with a bottle of non-alcoholic milk each. The cows in Hyrule were often given protection by Farore and a benefit was that their milk never spoilt. Shadow had found countless bottles in the kitchen and pantries, enough to supply a bustling castle for weeks or a single occupant for years.

Vio had found some clothes in the room of a long-dead guest, brown trousers, black boots, a plain, collared tunic in his namesake colour. He'd taken a black scarf as well, as the ruins of the castle tended to be drafty and the night was cold.

"Why is this castle in ruin?" Vio asked, taking a sip from the milk, keeping his eye on Shadow.

The one of purple hair shrugged. "I found it like this." he lied. Memories or no, this was Vio. 'I destroyed it' wasn't going to help him make friends.

Vio's eyes narrowed but he moved on. "Why are you all alone here? You're too uncomfortable with a guest, at least if how you're staring at me is a clue."

Shadow blushed lightly and dropped his gaze. "I'm alone because there's no one else."

"A given." Vio's cool voice scoffed. "How long have you been alone"

There was a time when Shadow would have said 'forever' but it wasn't true. He'd always had someone there, Vaati, Vio, Ganon. Perhaps some of them were not the most fulfilling company, but they were other living beings. Now he knew what it was to be truly alone. "I think it's been three years. I've lost track."

Blue eyes never left his grey ones, Shadow felt intimidated. "You're one to talk about staring." He muttered, not breaking the other's gaze.

"You've been gawking, I've been trying to maintain eye contact." Vio shrugged, setting down the milk.

Shadow set his own down and folded his arms. "You're in my house."

"You're in the ruins of a castle you wandered into." Vio yawned, politely covering his mouth. "Forgive me if I don't believe that quite gives you ownership."

"I don't need your blessing." Shadow shrugged, standing up and stretching. "Come on, I know a room you might like."

Vio stood and walked behind him, less than happy to be navigating the very dark and crumbling castle, which he worried was very unsafe. He stuck close to Shadow, especially on the stairways, watching here each foot landed and mimicking it when he was sure it was safe. They reached the room and Shadow pushed open the door.

The room was stone like the rest of the castle but a beautiful green tapestry hung on the wall. Two windows looked out into the still-cloudy night but the moon had been freed and shone light into the room. Simple furniture stood in the room. A wardrobe with a few old and worn toys on top stood across from the bed, a desk with a few books on it, a big, soft green rug and a sizable bed with a table beside it. A sword lay on the pillow.

Vio's eyes traveled over the room, lingering on the desk longer than anything else, and he was silent. Shadow wondered if perhaps he was remembering the room on some level.

"It's a child's room." Vio muttered, stepping inside. Shadow's heart sank but he followed.

"There are other rooms-"

"I didn't mean I wouldn't stay here, I was just pointing it out." He wandered to the desk and picked up a few of the books, blowing dust off of them.

Shadow helped, brushing away the stuff with his own hands and wiping them off on his tunic. "Sorry about the dust. Mine is the only room that's not covered in it, you can go there if you want." Shadow offered. "And there are more books in the library, I'll show you tomorrow."

He smiled at Vio who only nodded with a thoughtful frown, eyes not leaving the first few pages of one of the books he decided to flip through.

Shadow glared at the book, put-off at being ignored. He walked over to the bed and began to pull off the top blanket, cursing the maids for how tightly it was made until he wrestled it off. He draped it out the window and shook it off as best he could, turning his face away from the flying dust. He tossed the blanket back on the bed and sneezed violently thrice.

"Goddesses bless you." Vio muttered, setting down the book. "And I thank you." he said, noticing the disturbed bed with slight amusement.

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Vio." Shadow smiled and left, feeling for a moment Vio might be gone in the morning, his hand tightening in the doorknob. He gritted his teeth and forced away the feeling as best he could.

The next morning Vio asked to see the library first thing and Shadow took him, overjoyed to find he'd not dreamed the visitor. He was content flipping through random books in the library as Vio pulled others from shelves and stacked them on tables carefully. Most of the books were preserved well and Vio frowned. Many had hardly been touched before. The castle, too, was oddly unworn. Vast portions were missing but they were scorched where the stone had fallen away. One tower looked as if its top had been knocked clean off by something. The castle had been attacked but never destroyed, that was why so many places in it were still unaffected by age and weathering.

"Shadow, what happened to this castle? Who attacked it?" he asked, looking up at the high ceiling of the room where a skylight let the muddled sun in.

Shadow looked up from the book about cats he'd found. "Huh?"

"Who attacked the castle? The disrepair is too uneven to be natural decay." Vio asked, coming over to look down on Shadow, who'd sat himself upside down in a comfortable armchair, head dangling over the seat.

"I..." He righted himself quickly on the chair. He could still remember the heat of the flames, dragon swooping low over them, fanning them with a rush of air. "I- I- don't know, a shadow." He gritted his teeth and stood, pushing past Vio. "Some person who probably didn't know what they were doing anyway."

"A shadow, Shadow?' Vio muttered, frowning, and followed him. "Who are you, then? How do I know you?"

"You don't know me!" Shadow sighed, turning to him, He stared at the blond, unblinking. "You said yourself you didn't."

"But you acted like I should know you. I don't remember anyone, I know I have to have known people at some point. If I were closer to you, If I'd lived with you in this empty old castle then you'd be more worried about me, but you seem to be taking advantage of my ignorance here." Vio said, his voice becoming cold. "You didn't answer any of my questions last night, you won't answer me now, and you're an absolute disaster at lying. I don't know where I am or who you are, I don't know if this place is safe or if you are. I'm completely in the dark and you seem to like it that way. WHY?' Vio yelled the last word, his face falling to anger. Scared, alone, and feeling like a prisoner, the blond glared at Shadow.

"Because you left me! I don't want you to do it again, Vio! I trusted you but you _never_ trusted me and I thought that with you like this maybe you would!" Shadow yelled back, scowling.

Vio's voice was eerily calm as he turned away. "You don't win trust by keeping information, you gain it be sharing."

Shadow gasped as Vio started walking away, eyes wide. He darted after quickly, pulling hard on the blond's hand. "Wait! PLEASE!" he yelled his proximity causing Vio to wince. "I'll tell you what happened, everything, just please don't leave again!"

Blue eyes narrowed and Vio tugged his hand away. "You have until I reach the drawbridge, start talking."

Shadow took a deep breath trailing Vio like a dog as he began to tell Vio everything that had happened, everything he remembered. Vio was silent, listening with a passive expression as he wandered the dark halls. Most of the castle's torches were unlit so the windows lit most of the structure, which was fine for the rooms with gaming holes in their roofs, as those rooms got enough light even with the strange clouds. But for a lot of the castle darkness was the norm.

When they reached the castle gates Shadow was panting with the effort of keeping Vio's swift stride and for rambling his story at top speed, though he choked up when telling Vio of the heroes' deaths. Blue, picked off first by Vaati. Red was next, refusing to fight when Vaati demanded he stop, Zelda a hostage he threatened to kill. They died together. Green and Vio had regrouped together but an argument separated them, Green returned to face Ganon alone, Shadow never heard how he died, and Vio was later tracked down and executed.

His death had been the turning point for Shadow, the moment he got a Shadow of his own and became Hylian, the moment the mirror shattered. Then able to wield the four sword and ready to raise it against Ganon and the weakened Vaati to avenge the only friend he'd ever had, even thou Vio had betrayed him. He'd fought and won, though barely, and still wondered how he'd managed it.

He'd been at the castle ever since, the field and towns of Hyrule infested with monsters and him to weary to purge them. The avoided the castle so that was where he stayed.

So carried away in his mind and the story, Shadow started when Vio spoke. "Shadow, what did you mean when you said I was special?" He asked, knowing the purple-haired one had let the word slip.

"What? I didn't." He frowned at Vio.

Vio frowned right back. "You did. you talked like I wasn't here but you said 'Vio was the only friend I've ever had. He was more than just that, though. He was special.' What did you mean?"

A light blush stained his cheeks and Shadow looked away. "I don't know, you stood out. When I was against you you were the one I noticed, always so passive. I wanted to make you react to me! Anything! My taunts were an act for the others but they were directed at you. When you joined me everything flipped. You of all people had joined me. The stablest, the one I saw I saw as a challenge. With you on my side I wanted to impress you, make sure you knew you were better off with me. When you betrayed me I was angrier than I've ever been except for when you died."

"You loved me." Vio said, plain as day.

"What?!"

"You heard. Romantic or platonic, you loved me."

Shadow paled, then his face flooded with scarlet. "No! How could I? I didn't know you, I never got the chance!"

"Then it was a strong crush. Either way there's no point dwe-"

"I didn't! Vio, you're crazy!" Shadow yelled, making the other sigh.

Vio's expression changed quickly as he gently pressed Shadow against the stone archway that the drawbridge used to rest in and grabbed the wrist that tried to push him back. Shadow's heart raced suddenly as Vio leaned towards him and kissed him for several seconds. When he pulled back he smirked. "You closed your eyes, your breathing is heavier, your pulse increased," he dropped Shadow's wrist "and you followed me a bit when I pulled away. I suppose it's possible you were just attracted to me with no feelings attached."

Shadow stared at him, shocked and Violated. He blushed heavily and yelled at the blond. "Shut up! What in the goddesses' names was that for!?"

Vio smirked and shrugged a bit. "My point is further proven by how flustered you are. I didn't want to keep arguing over a stupid issue. What's past is past and your crush is the least of our, or at least my, worries. I won't hold anything in the past against you and I'll remain here for now but I don't want to waste my time. Figure out what, if anything, you want to say to me and I'll discuss something, but the volume at which you deliver denial does nothing to further its value as an argument."

Shadow gaped after Vio as he turned back to the castle, unaware of the slight smirk on the blond's lips.


End file.
